Author: R Swaminathan
Publisher: Samskriti
Year: 2008
Language: English
Pages: 336
ISBN/UPC (if available): 9788187374527
Description
Small Hands, Big Deeds delves into the complex and multilayered world of Indian labour; a world that has its own hierarchy with organised industrial labour occupying the primary position as the vanguard class. The reasons why labour has been conceptualised exclusively from the prism of organised working class are historical as well as theoretical. This exclusively marginalises other protests and concerns, often relegating them to the footnotes of working class history.
While the manner in which other movements of protests are marginalised is being documented, most notably in literature defined as counter-cultural, this book deconstructs the ‘adult’ logic that permeates not only the metanarratives of globalization and corporate capitalism, but also, equally, movements that are clearly counter-cultural and anti-systemic.
As per Government of India records, Bhima Sangha, active in various regions of Karnataka, is a union of working children. It is a nomenclature that can at best be described as a square peg for a round hole. Moreover, traditional frameworks of working class analysis consider child labour to be a marginal concern relative to the larger class struggle. The ‘adult’ logic doesn’t imagine that children can develop class consciousness, mature enough for collective action. The activities and the actors of Bhima Sangha build a strong case for a theoretical reconceptualisation of the working class. They also showcase the need for counter-cultural and anti-systemic forces to re-imagine and reconstruct themselves for an alternative hegemonic articulation strong and effective enough to dismantle the universalising logic of globalisation.
Contents
Acknowledgement
Setting the Stage
Changing Times, Changing Themes , New Forms of Social Mobilization
India Catches Up: the Working Class Movement spreads
It's Not Child's Play : Child Labour and Discourse on Child' Rights
Labouring for the Children : Four Outfits
Bhima Sangha : the Strength of the Little ones
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
Appendix 1 Political Map of India
Appendix 2 Map of Karnataka
Appendix 3 Hypotheses, assumptions and Questions
Appendix 4 Child Work and Child Labour
Appendix 5 Roger Hart's Ladder of Participation
Appendix 6 Case Studies : Compiled by Children
Appendix 7 CWC and Appropriate Education Programme
Appendix 8 Comparison Between schools
Appendix 9 Participatory Rural Appraisal
Reference
Index